UKTV becomes first broadcaster to Open Doors with Creative Skillset

London, Wednesday 14 October 2015

Darren Childs, CEO of multi-award winning media company UKTV, today announced that the broadcaster is teaming up with Creative Skillset to host an Open Doors event for 16-24 year olds who want to learn about the television industry.

The event builds on UKTV's commitment to provide greater industry access for young people from all backgrounds and follows Darren Childs' announcement in June that production companies making programmes for UKTV must pay all staff, including runners, at least the minimum wage.

Childs said, "Creative Skillset are doing a brilliant job of opening the doors to the Creative Industries for talented and hungry individuals. I'm delighted that UKTV is the first broadcaster to partner with them on this type of event where we are offering 40 young people the opportunity to meet with teams from across the business and get hands on experience in our brand new production facilities, including our edit suites and voiceover booth. As part of the event, we are also offering the chance to win two paid, one week work placements, based right here at UKTV."

We are delighted that UKTV is opening its doors and helping us to enable young talent to access the great career opportunities that exist in the Creative Industries.

UKTV is also expanding its award-winning apprenticeship programme. The broadcaster, which has been recognised in the 'England's Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers' list', is in talks to create new openings in areas of the business where it would like to develop grass roots talent, including Technology, Operations and Digital.

Della Hirons, UKTV's HR Business Partner, said,

UKTV's apprenticeship opportunities, which were developed with the National Apprenticeship Service backed by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and are supported by our training partner Outsource, have given industry access to passionate and motivated young people who are delivering impressive and tangible results for the business. Two of our apprentices have already been promoted to permanent roles within the company, which demonstrates how successful apprenticeships can be for developing and retaining new talent.

In addition, later this month UKTV will once again host its annual Learning at Work Day where students from the local borough are invited in to UKTV's offices to participate in brainstorming ideas for original content and attend master classes in pitching and making programmes. UKTV is also partnering up with the Media Trust to connect with Southbank University and participate in a session where staff share their career journeys with students.

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About UKTV

UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches 42 million viewers a month.

UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £283m and EBITDA of £74.1m. It invested £123m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.

Now celebrating its 22nd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.

About Open Doors

Open Doors is a season of events organised by Creative Skillset spanning October 2015 to March 2016 that inspires and informs young people about career opportunities in the Creative Industries and connects creative businesses across England to new talent.

Open Doors events features key companies in the creative industries allowing access to a young audience (normally 16 to 24 year olds) to engage with and gain insight from professionals about how they got into the industry along with information about resources and accredited courses that can help them get there.

Creative Skillset empowers the Creative Industries to develop skills and talent; it does this by influencing and shaping policy, ensuring quality and by securing the vital investment for individuals to become the best in their field and for businesses to grow. As the industry skills body for the Creative Industries, it works across film, television, radio, fashion and textiles, animation, games, visual effects, publishing, advertising, marketing communications and performing arts.

Hiive the professional network for creative people is here: www.hiive.co.uk